STUDIES ON IMMUNITY TO PNEUMOCOCCUS MUCOSUS (TYPE III) : II. THE INFECTIVITY OF TYPE III PNEUMOCOCCUS FOR RABBITS

THE OBSERVATIONS RECORDED IN THIS PAPER ON THE INFECTIVITY OF TYPE III PNEUMOCOCCI FOR RABBITS MAY BE SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS: 1. Of eleven strains of Type III isolated from human sources, ten were found to possess low virulence for rabbits. This was true despite the fact that all the strains tested possessed large capsules and a high degree of virulence for mice. 2. One strain of Type III pneumococcus was rendered highly virulent for rabbits. Since it possessed no other biological property demonstrably different from the other strains, its virulence must reside in some additional property. 3. An initial decrease in the number of circulating organisms following the injection of virulent bacteria is a well known occurrence, and it was observed in rabbits injected with the rabbit virulent strain of Type III. However, the extent of the reduction was in inverse proportion to the degree of virulence of the strain; a fact which makes mechanical explanations of the phenomenon insufficient. 4. The bacteremia produced in rabbits by Type III pneumococci, avirulent for this species, runs a characteristic course. It differs from that produced by non-encapsulated R forms of pneumococci although in both instances survival of the infected animal ensues. This is evidence that the mechanism of resistance against encapsulated and non-encapsulated pneumococci is not identical. 5. Phagocytosis of Type III pneumococci by circulating rabbit leucocytes was not demonstrable by a vital stain technique, whereas under the same conditions the ingestion of non-encapsulated R forms occurred. This is further evidence that the process whereby non-encapsulated pneumococci are disposed of, is insufficient to explain the natural resistance of rabbits to infection with encapsulated Type III pneumococci.